BOZEMAN, Mont. (May 7, 2019) – A mixture of discovery, wildlife research and mystery unfold in a new short film, “Rain Deer” by Fresh Tracks Productions with Randy Newberg, Hunter and available today on Prime Video and YouTube. The film was created in partnership with Leupold & Stevens, Sitka Gear and Boone & Crockett Club.
Newberg is the leading advocate for the self-guided hunter and wanted to showcase a story in an unlikely place (in the high alpine of southeast Alaska) focusing on an unlikely friendship (between a research biologist and a grizzled, wise hunter).
“Our goal was to tell a story of food, deer, and culture, illustrating how hunting and science work as the vital foundation for conservation of both the species and the landscapes that are critical to these local people,” said Newberg of the two-year effort to bring this story to the audience.
Watch the film on Prime Video and YouTube available today.
“Rain Deer” was filmed in southeast Alaska and documents the importance of Sitka blacktail deer to the rural communities of the region guided by the local knowledge of one of the deer’s biggest advocates, James Baichtal. Baichtal is a geologist who takes a wildlife ecologist, Sophie Gilbert, with him into a place where the data she has been living with on paper and in photographs comes to life for her for the first time. This would also be the first time she would have the opportunity to harvest one of her research subjects.
“In today’s world where ‘social concerns’ appear to be trumping the scientific management of wildlife, it’s refreshing to see a film that includes both,” said Keith Balfourd, director of marketing for Boone and Crockett. “People and communities rely on wild natural resources. Sportsmen have been standing guard over these resources and funding the science for their care longer than anyone. It’s time more people appreciated this fact.”
The crew, with filmmaker Tyler Johnerson, experience the ruggedness of the landscape, ponder the mysteries of these deer, learn about the culture of the deer on these islands, and come home with the prized meat they provide. The film expertly portrays what sustainable use guided by science means and looks like, including the cultural significance of these deer to the peoples of Alaska.
Bruce Pettet, president and CEO of Leupold and Stevens, Inc., emphasized the importance of showing hunting’s critical role in conservation, “No optics company does more for sportsmen's rights and conservation across the United States than Leupold & Stevens – it’s incredibly important to our team members, our core consumers and the entire family. ‘Rain Deer’ is a story worth telling. We’re proud to have supported Randy’s work to bring this important conservation story to hunting and non-hunting audiences.”
Harrison Lindsay, marketing director, Sitka Gear is excited to see “Rain Deer” released, “Sitka Gear has built our company on support of conservation; both financial support of conservation groups, and supporting those valuable hunting messages, such as the story told in ‘Rain Deer.’ We are excited for this film to show conservation as a mix of food, science, and culture, all told through the lens of hunting.”
Learn more at RandyNewberg.Com, http://Facebook.com/RandyNewberg, and http://Instagram.Com/RandyNewbergHunter
About Randy Newberg, Hunter: Randy Newberg is the voice of the public land hunter in America. Decades of hunting all species across public lands has provided both the experience and perspective that has allowed him to become the leading advocate for the self-guided hunter; hunters dependent upon public lands for hunting access. With his popular series, Leupold’s Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg available on YouTube and Prime Video, accompanied by the long-standing Hunt Talk web forum, Newberg is looked to for advocacy and leadership as hunting and access issues become politicized. Now added to those platforms is the Hunt Talk Podcastwhere Newberg discusses relevant issues to hunters - unfiltered. Visit RandyNewberg.Com to download the bi-weekly podcast, information to download the TV series and log in to the Hunt Talk forum. Subscribe to Randy Newberg’s YouTube channel to get tips, behind the scenes, and ideas for the western big game hunter. Learn more at RandyNewberg.Com, http://Facebook.com/RandyNewberg and http://Instagram.Com/RandyNewbergHunter
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Michelle Scheuermann, BulletProof Communications LLC, 651.964.0264; michelle@bulletproofcomm.com